What to include, what to leave out, and why most PA briefs fall short of the role they describe.
A weak brief usually shows up later: in vague shortlists, awkward interviews, candidates asking basic questions that should have been answered upfront, or a role that quietly changes shape halfway through the process. Most PA briefs we see are too short, too generic, or too focused on duties rather than the working relationship the principal actually needs.
We write briefs as a standard part of our service. This piece is for principals, HR directors and family offices who want to think through the role properly before approaching an agency, or who prefer to do the initial draft themselves.
Start with the working relationship, not the duties
The most common mistake in PA briefs is leading with a list of duties. Diary management, inbox, travel, expenses, the same eight or ten things that appear in almost every PA job description. None of it is wrong, but it doesn’t tell a candidate anything useful about whether they would be a good fit.
A stronger brief starts with the working relationship. How does the principal operate? What does their week look like? Are they hands-on or hands-off, fast-moving or measured, formal or direct? Do they want to be challenged or supported quietly? Do they prefer to think out loud or have answers brought to them?
This is what an experienced PA actually wants to know. Duties they can do. Working with the right person is what makes the difference between staying for five years and moving on within twelve months.
Scope: be specific about what the role actually covers
Once the working relationship is clear, the brief needs to explain where the role sits.
A few questions to answer:
Is this a fully corporate PA, a fully private PA, or a hybrid? If hybrid, what is the rough time split between professional and personal commitments?
Does the role involve household coordination? Liaising with a Housekeeper, Chef, House Manager or estate team? Working alongside a Chief of Staff or Executive Assistant?
Is there a family element? Managing children’s schedules, school correspondence, family travel, gifting, household budgets?
How international is the role? Frequent travel, multi-residence coordination, time zones to navigate?
What level of autonomy is expected? Will the PA make decisions on the principal’s behalf, or check in for sign-off on everything?
The more specific the brief is on scope, the more accurately the shortlist will reflect what’s actually needed.
Private and UHNW briefs are different
For private household and UHNW roles, the brief often needs to cover far more than corporate PA work. It may include household coordination, multi-residence logistics, international travel with the family, gifting and personal correspondence, working alongside other staff, and handling sensitive matters with absolute discretion.
These roles also depend heavily on fit. The PA becomes a long-term presence in the principal’s life, and the wrong fit causes more friction than the wrong skill set. Briefs at this end of the market need to convey not just what the role involves, but the standards and tone of the household it sits within.
Hours, cover and boundaries
This is where briefs most often fall short, and where misalignment causes the most problems six months in.
Set out the working pattern clearly. Core hours, expected start and finish times, whether the role is in-office, hybrid or remote. If there’s a country residence the principal moves to, does the PA travel too?
On out-of-hours expectations, be honest. Some principals genuinely don’t contact their PA at the weekend. Some message at 10pm on a Sunday and expect a response. Candidates will accept either, but only if it’s discussed openly upfront. Time off in lieu, on-call arrangements, weekend cover and notice periods for travel should all be specified.
The strongest PAs at the senior end will ask about this in interview. A brief that addresses it directly signals that the role has been thought through properly.
Reporting and stakeholders
Who does the PA report to? Just the principal, or also to a Chief of Staff or office manager? Are there other PAs, EAs or household staff in the structure, and how do those reporting lines work?
Which external stakeholders will the PA interact with regularly? Board members, advisers, family members, key vendors? The brief should name the people, the relationships, and any specific sensitivities.
This matters because PA candidates at the senior end are often weighing up multiple offers, and the clarity around those relationships is often what distinguishes a serious brief from a generic one.
Tools and security
Set out the actual tools and systems the PA will use. Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, travel booking platforms, expense systems, messaging tools.
On security and discretion, be specific about what’s expected. Will the PA need to sign an NDA? Are there device policies, password manager requirements, or handling protocols for confidential documents? For UHNW roles, will background checks or enhanced due diligence be part of the process?
This is particularly important for principals operating in regulated industries, family offices managing significant assets, or any role where the PA will have access to sensitive personal information.
Salary and package structure
The brief should include a salary range that reflects the actual scope of the role. We publish salary guidance on our Hire a Personal Assistant page, with caveats that final figures depend on hours, travel, complexity and seniority.
If the role involves significant travel, irregular hours, or specialist skills (a second language, particular technical competencies, prior UHNW experience), the brief should signal that the package can flex to reflect that.
A few things worth being explicit about: bonus structure if relevant, pension arrangements, private medical, holiday allowance, and any perks or quirks specific to the role. The strongest candidates are weighing the whole package, not just the headline number.
Start date, urgency and process
Set a realistic expectation for the start date, and be clear about how the process will run. Number of interview rounds, who will be involved, whether there will be a trial day or task-based assessment, and how quickly decisions will be made.
PA candidates at this level are usually employed already and often on three-month notice periods. A drawn-out process loses good candidates to faster-moving employers. A process that is too compressed signals that the role hasn’t been thought through carefully.
What to leave out
A few things that don’t belong in a PA brief, but often appear:
Generic phrases like “must be proactive” or “able to multitask”. Every candidate will say they are both. The brief should describe the situations the PA will face, and let the candidate demonstrate how they would handle them.
Overly long task lists. A job description lists responsibilities. A proper brief explains the person, the working rhythm, the expectations and the conditions around the role. The task list still matters, but it should not be doing all the work.
Aspirational language that doesn’t match the reality of the role. “Trusted partner to the principal” is a strong line if it’s actually true. If the principal wants someone to execute their decisions rather than challenge them, the brief should say so.
A 15-minute version
If you’re short on time, the most useful single thing you can do is send across a short document covering:
What success looks like in the first six months, in one or two sentences. The working pattern. The top three stakeholders. Tools the PA will use. Salary range and start date.
We will shape the rest in the briefing call. Most of the detail comes out in conversation anyway.
Hire a Personal Assistant with 19 London
We place Personal Assistants for principals, executives, family offices and private households in London and internationally. We write briefs as part of our standard service, and we can help shape the role before the search begins.
If you’re considering a PA hire, contact 19 London. Our PA & Corporate division will respond promptly.